And it’s especially encouraging that the KSO’s financial situation has so improved.

I’d like to use this opportunity to point out that another of our major cultural organizations — the Knoxville Opera — has also experienced a wonderful turnaround. As a board member and former president, I know very well the dire situation we were in back 5 years ago. In fact, we almost didn’t make it — period.

It was our great good fortune to hire Maestro Brian Salesky to the post of general director and conductor. Brian exhibits a rare combination of qualities — not only is he the consummate musician, but he also has very astute financial management skills.

Brian and the board instituted much tighter fiscal policies; that, allied with Brian’s inviolable principle to “never spend a dime I don’t have,” as well as smart, savvy management and able programming, has meant all the difference to KO.

Amazing as it is, the result has been that Maestro Salesky can say that the Opera has finished the season with no debt and “in the black” — for the fourth consecutive season!! That’s really remarkable, and almost unheard of.

Having chaired Knoxville Opera’s Rossini Festival in two prior years, I can also say that this event has done a lot to bring people back to downtown. The official count for this year’s Festival (in April) was in the area of 70,000 — that’s fabulous. The good weather helped, of course!

These are bright spots in our cultural scene. There are plenty of challenges ahead, to be sure. So please support the arts — every dollar spent comes back several times over in strengthening our economy.

Thank you and all the best to Maestros Richman and Salesky, and to all of our other cultural organizations.

I’m also pleased to serve as a trustee of the Knoxville Museum of Art. The KMA, like other arts and cultural organizations in these times, is concerned about it’s budget and resources. After the KTSC’s move to fund what the county didn’t, we all breathed a sigh of relief. The museum continues to operate in the black — not an easy feat given the fact that we are no longer charging admission — but with no contingency.

Here’s the good news: the galleries are packed and you can feel the energy. As with the KSO, this is in large part due to David Butler’s leadership and Stephen Wicks’s brilliant curatorial work — the recent exhibitions have been fantastic. “Made in Hollywood” just opened and is a must see!

Knoxville is very fortunate to have the artistic and cultural offerings that it does. I’ve always believed that arts and culture reflect the soul of a community and I’m happy to be a part of this one.